• Spire rides wave of demand for private healthcare

FINANCIAL TIMES -  Londra  -  (Sarah Provan)  -  UK hospital group Spire Healthcare said strong demand from private patients avoiding NHS waiting lists sent its revenues higher in the first half even as Covid-19-related costs hit profits. The London-listed group said that revenues in the six months to June 30 climbed 7 per cent to £598mn, driven by a 34 per cent rise in the number of patients choosing to pay for care out of their own pocket. Private healthcare accounted for 73 per cent of revenues, up from 65 per cent in the year-ago period. The healthcare provider also generates some revenues via the NHS. The increased willingness of patients to fund their own treatment has been a boon for UK private hospitals that historically have been more dependent on medical insurance to pay their customers’ bills. “The revenue figure reflected the strong underlying demand that we had expected,” said Charles Weston, a healthcare analyst at RBC Capital Markets....>>>